


Underestimated

by Moonwanderer



Series: Bruce Appreciation Week 2018 [5]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bruce Appreciation Week 2018, Bruce is a badass, BruceWeek, Friendship, Gen, Rescue Missions, Robots, Science Bros, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-07-18 11:08:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16117163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonwanderer/pseuds/Moonwanderer
Summary: It is not the Hulk which makes Bruce dangerous.





	Underestimated

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for the "Bruce Appreciation Week 2018" event.  
> Day5: "Robots"
> 
> In this short story I wanted to show that Bruce can be a real badass, if he wishes to be.
> 
> I am not a native speaker, so mistakes may be found.  
> I do not own the characters, etc., etc.,...

"You know, Tony, we could use one of your brilliant ideas right now!" Steve said and applied more pressure to the wound on his friend’s arm.

"You know, Steve" Tony hissed, but a playful spark shone up in his eyes. "It would be nice if sometimes one of _you_ did the brainwork instead!"

Clint laughed, pain leaving his pale features for a moment.

"He’s got a point, guys!"

Steve furrowed his brows in his iconic „I’m so disappointed right now” way, but this time there was more worry than irritation in those baby blue eyes. He was not satisfied with the current situation. Not a bit.

The thing was that S.H.I.E.L.D. asked Tony to design a system for them, which they wanted to use to hack into whatever systems they wished to. Tony refused to do that, though he was more than eager to use the datas and equipments he got from them. In the end, together with Bruce, he designed and built a robot-prototype, which he wanted to program for defensive matters.

It was okay till that point, though Steve had doubts about the project, mostly because the two geniuses locked themselves into their lab and refused to involve him in the process. The captain hated things that were going behind his back. The problem was that one of their partners, a famous and skilled scientist stole the prototype, and wanted to use the technology for his own not-so-rightful plans.

The team tried to retrieve the robot from him before he could leave the country, attacking his base, and thus they walked right into a trap prepared just for them.

Right now the five of them were locked in a special cage designed to be able to hold a god, a super soldier, a genius, and two assassin-spies. It was quite impressive, to be honest, though most of the ideas were stolen from Tony’s private lab, as the genius previously remarked that.

Clint was down with a deep cut on his side, bled out enough to make them worry. Natasha was crouching beside him, with a sharp, deathly glare; ready to protect her fallen partner from whatever harm may threaten. Thor looked horrible, full of cuts and bruises, blood all around, but it would take more than that to knock him down, he was still capable of fighting, if they had to. Steve was kneeling beside Tony, ready to shield the genius, who was vulnerable without his suit. The cage was constructed the way to release a toxic gas if it detected any attempt of breaking out, so the god couldn’t use his powers without the risk of killing his own team with that.

Their only hope could have been Bruce, but it was short-lived. Their captors explained that he planted special little devices, so called „gamma-retractors” all around the place, which was able to suppress Bruce’s powers just enough to prevent him from hulking out.

So here they were, completely trapped, watching helplessly as the man was about to add them to his collection and leave the place to God knows where. The prototype, that damned thing, was also there, redesigned to resemble to Tony’s suit, and their captor was kind enough to inform them that he made some new extras, transforming it into a murdering machine. Right now it was standing peacefully beside its new master, but always ready to kill.

"You and your bots, Tony!" Steve broke out irritated. The genius laughed.

"Come on, you love me like that." He tried to sit up but the soldier pushed him back down.

"Hey, Rogers, I am not dying!"

Steve shot a hard glance at him, and the billionaire stopped fidgeting.

"Okay, I get it, I will behave."

"You’d better do, Mr. Stark! I would be disappointed if you passed away before I could learn all the tricks about your wonderful reactor!" The smug voice interrupted them, and they all turned towards their captor. The man stood at the top of a platform, so he could look down at them, showing who is in charge. Steve’s features hardened, and he moved his hand instinctively above the blue light of the other’s chest. Tony seemed unbothered by this statement, and he flashed one of his iconic grin at the scientist.

"The reactor again. How original! Besides, if I were you, I would be more careful, ’cause you don’t have the whole team in your hands."

The man burst out into laughter.

"Oh, you mean Dr. Banner? You mean he will come and save you from the „bad guy”? I know that guy is intelligent, more than all of you, and he is smart enough not to come here all on his own. And before he could call back-up, we won’t be here any longer. If he is willing to help you. I bet he is off somewhere, far far away, minding his own business..."

"He will come." Clint raised his head a little, trying to prop himself up on his elbows. "He will come. And he will kick your ass."

"I agree!" Thor said, determination on his noble features. "Banner is not a man who leaves his friends in danger."

"Well, thank you for all of your faith!"

Every head turned towards the voice.

Bruce stood in the doorway, calm and collected, with a neutral, almost bored expression on his face. He was wearing an ordinary white lab coat, neatly buttoned up at the cuffs but open at the front, letting his purple shirt be seen. He weared glasses, and was completely unarmed. The „bad guy” seemed just as stunned as the most of the team.

"How could you get in here without starting the alarms?"

"Oh, I cut the defense system out." Bruce shrugged, as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Natasha stirred, she was maybe the only one who could understand what a great amount of skill this task needed.

"That’s my Science Bro!" Tony cried out with joy.

The man stood stunned for a moment, then took a step back.

"No way! How could you get your buddies from the Shield here this fast?"

"I came alone." The doctor said and his gaze wandered downwards, resting on the fallen archer.

"You okay there, Clint?"

The spy smiled.

"Would be better if you’d be so kind and kicked his ass for me!"

Their enemy seemed to regain his composure and now was grinning like a madman.

"And what is your brilliant plan, doctor? Call your green buddy to play?"

"I am very well aware of the fact that I cannot change." Bruce’s tone was flat, casual, just like he was discussing some not too interesting scientific methods with one of his colleagues.

"Then it seems I overestimated your intelligence! As you see, I already have everything I want. An arc reactor, a super soldier, Asgardian technology and a free access to Shield’s database." An ugly smile appeared on the man’s lips. "So I don’t really need you to be alive."

"Let me guess. You plan to kill me with your new toy to see how it works." The doctor nodded toward the robot.

"Clever boy! I am more than eager to see what it is capable of! And it will just add to the thrill that your friends have to watch your fall. Especially Stark, who created it so eagerly, with so much effort."

Bruce shook his head lightly.

"Then I’m afraid you will be disappointed. Tony was not the only one who worked on this system’s design. I am also its master. And it will obey me."

The man laughed, hard and ugly.

"Oh, this is way more entertaining than I first thought! You made my day, Dr. Banner! Unfortunately, I am in a bit of a hurry, so you have to die."

The team watched helplessly as the man took out the remote control, and after a quick motion the robot came alive.

Clint felt his heartbeat thundering below his ribs, and heard Natasha hissing through her teeth. There were sparks flying from the clenched fists of the god, as Thor tried to restrain himself from shattering the glass. Steve tried to warn the doctor, but he couldn’t find his voice, the only thing he could do was grabbing at Tony with all his might, breath hitching, eyes wide open. The genius was the only one who seemed relatively calm, as he was the one who knew Bruce the most, his faith in his friend stronger than his fear.

They had one, maybe two seconds till the robot came alive and bolted forward, 200 pounds of metal and menace with the only goal to destroy.

Just as the creature moved to run him down, Bruce raised one hand in front of himself, with his palm forward.

"Stop." It was not just a word. It was an order.

The metal body let out a high-pitched shriek, and collapsed to a useless, unmoving heap at the feet of its creator.

In the next moments everyone forgot how to breath. The only one who was left unshaken by the turn of the events was Bruce, who was standing there just like before, calm as ever.

Their enemy was the first one who regained composure.

"You son of a ...!" He drew out a gun to shoot the doctor when suddenly a light blue blast hit his body, and after a few seconds of convulsion he fell down like a puppet whose strings were cut.

"These tasers are handy little things!" Bruce nodded in approval, then without taking a glance at the fallen bodies he made his way toward the panels.

A few seconds later they were free.

"I won’t lie. It was impressive!" Tony’s grin couldn’t be wider as he approached his lab friend, pulling him into a tight hug.

"How...?" It was the only thing Steve could utter.

"Witchcraft!" Thor said, eyes still wide with shock and wonder.

Bruce rubbed the back of his head.

"More like trickery. See, the front of the coat is open in order to draw attention to it, to my chest, creating the illusion that I’m unarmed. But the sleeves hide the tasers. I had to borrow them, Natasha, I hope you don’t mind!"

The spy shot him a „you are kidding, right?” type of glance, but her crimson lips curled into a smile.

"But the robot!" Steve cried out. "How could you... I mean you just raised your hand and then....!"

This time Bruce’s lips twitched, as if he was trying to fight off a smile.

"You don’t know how tempting it is to keep that secret to myself."

"Come on, Brucie, you can’t do this to us!" Tony cried out in disbelief, seeming pissed that he couldn’t figure out the trick yet.

"Pretty please?" Clint said, as the doctor was leaning above him to check on his wound.

Bruce chuckled.

"Well...It’s true that I helped constructing that nightmare. The thing you don’t know is that Tony and I were arguing about it all the time. He said it’s a brilliant plan and I said it won’t cause us any good. His will was stronger, of course, so we did build it, but I built in an extra without his knowing, without anyone’s knowing to be honest."

He dipped into his pocket and pulled out a small, round object.

"It causes an immediate breakdown in the robot’s system. You know, just in case things won’t work out as brilliant as someone" He winked at Tony "thought."

"Brucie..." Tony’s voice was wavering. "You know what does it mean?"

"That I saved your asses, perhaps the whole world, and prevented a far too dangerous technology to get into wrong hands?"

"You are not allowed to stay alone in my lab anymore!"

And Bruce finally burst out into laughter, throwing his head back, and when the agents he called arrived at the scene, they found a very pissed off Tony Stark amongst his five laughing teamates.

**Author's Note:**

> Please, feel free to leave a comment!  
> Negative comments or comments of displeasure are also welcome, you can help me improve by pointing out my mistakes.


End file.
